Farm-gate.



J. W. SNEDBKER.

FARM GATE.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. ze, 1912.

1,073,536. Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

Sz 5 Z0 Wj: A) @4 A/ M70/mfr CQLUMBIA PLANoanAPM co., WASHINGTON. D. c.

WNTE

JAMES W. SNEDEKER, OF ADRIAN, MICHIGAN.

FARM-GATE.

Application filed October 28, 1912.

Specification of Letters Patent.

YPatented Sept. 16, 1913.

serial No. 725,026.

To all whom t may conce/m.'

13e it known that I, JAMES WV. SNnnnKinn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Adrian, in the county of Lenawee, State ofllichigan, have invented certain new and useful improvements inFarm-Gates; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompany' ing drawii'igs, and to the characters ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to farm gates and consists in the constructionand arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

rThe object of the invention is to provide a gate of comparativelysimple and inexpensive construction wherein provision is made forautomatically lifting the front of the gate to permit of the passage ofsmall live stock thereunder and to enable the gate to swing free fromsnow.

r.lhe above object is attained by the structure illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which li`igure l is an elevation of a gateembodying my invention, showing said gate in the closed position. Fig. 2is a similar view showing the front end of the gate lifted. llig. 3 is afragmentary view in elevation of a gate post carrying the keepers inwhich the latch pins on the front vertical bar of the gate engage. Fig.4 is a fragmentary view in horizontal section through the telescopicportion at the rear end of the upper horizontal bar of the gate frameand through the upper end of the rear 'vertical bar to which thehorizontal bar is pivoted. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view in perspectiveshowing the pivotal connection between the upper end of the diagonalbrace and the upper horizontal bar of the gate frame. Fig. is afragmentary view in top plan showing the manner of pivotally connectingthe ends of the horizontal bars to the vertical bars of the gate frame.Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view in section through the rear vertical bar ofthe gate frame, as on line 7-7 of Fig. 2, illustrating` the manner ofconnecting the rear ends of the strand wires to said rear vertical bar.Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section showing the meansfor rendering rigid the telescopic sections of the upper bar of the gateframe.

Referring to the drawings by the characters of reference marked thereon,l and 2 designate the front and rear vertical bars respectively, and 3and l designate the upper and lower horizontal bars respectively of thegate fralne. rlhe rear end of the lower horizontal bar il; is pivoted at5 to the lower end of the rear vertical bar 2. The front end of thelower horizontal bar is pivoted at G to the lower end of the frontvertical bar l, and the forward end of the upper horizontal bar 3 ispivoted at 7 to the upper end of the front vertical bar 1. The verticalbars l and 2 are preferably U- shaped in cross section, and theterminals of the horizontal bars .lie between the sides of said U-shapedvertical bars. The rear end of the upper horizontal bar 3 is madetelescopic by causing it to enter and slide longitudinally in a shorttubular section 8 of a diameter to receive it, the rear end of saidshort section being pvoted at 9 to the upper end of the rear verticalbar 2. Pivoted at l() to the rear vertical bar, near its lower end, is adiagonal brace 1l whose upper end is pivoted at l2 to the upper horizontal bar 3, said upper bar being provided with a plurality ofapertures 125 for this purpose.

Crossing between the vertical end bars of the gate frame are thelrmgitudinal strands lt. The forward ends of these strands are connectedat l5 to the front bar l. The rear ends of said strands are connected toeye bolts 16, as clearly shown in Fig. 7, said bolts` passing throughthe U-shaped rear vertical bar 2 and receiving on their threaded endsthe nuts 17. By turning said nuts any desiree' tension may' be placedupon the longitudinal strands of the gate. Crossing the longitudinalstrands and attached thereto are the vertical or stay strands 18, theends of said stays being secured to the upper and lower horizontal bars,respectively. of the gate frame.

The gate is hung from the post 19 through the medium of the hingemembers 20 of coinmon construction. The post 2l is provided with anupper keeper 92 and a lower keeper 23 adapted to receive the upper andlower latch pins 2li and 25, respectively, to retain the gate closed. Inorder to hold the front end of the gate down, the upper keeper 22 isprovided with .a Aloop 26 (see 1F ig. 3,) jin, which the upper latch pin2e niay engage,v thereby preventing the ltrontend -of 'the gate risinguntil said pin is disengaged from said loop by depressing the front. endof tiie gate to carry said pin trein the lower end thereof.' The keepershold the Vgate :the topand bottoni when closed and prevent it bef,

coming sprung.V

The upper ends of the end bars are rex-v tended above the gate traine,and tothe projecting end ofthe front-bar is attached the Jfoiward end oaoable 27. At the rear-end ot said eableis attached'one endet strongYcontractible spring 28. VThe rear end of jinay be Vplaced uponsaidspring. This tension when 'the front end of 'the gate is re-f leasedtends'to move-'the gate freine upon its points of pivot 5,16 and 7 andto cause the rear end ot the upper horizontal bar 3 to vslide into thetubular section 8, whereby lthe diagonal brace l1 -is inadc to litt theforward end oi." the gate, as-shown in Fig. 2, the

whole front portion of the gate traine swinging upwardly on the lpivotalpoint 5, and the Ashort section 8 swinging upwardly on the pivot 9 toaccommodate the rinovenient., By usting Vthe Iupper 'end of `thediagonal brace along the upper horizontal 'bar -the degree ot elevationofthe -trent end of thegate may `be Yvaried as desired. `With the frontend ofthe gate elevated as described, small live stock may passthereunder without per-f niitting the passage of larger stock, Vorthelkgate may be Yswung on its hinges ,in eitherv direction to clear avsnow-bank or other 4ob-f struction.

'To fasten the Oate when its front end is lifted so as -to arevent itswinOin '-u on its' hinges, `a .chain 3l is employed'which hangs from'the keeper 22, and which may beL passed around the front Vvertical bardt the gate and hooked, as shown lin Fig. 2. Thi

allows soine Vfreedom of movement of the,

gate 'but will not permit it to swing open.

To close ythe gate 'its tree -end is swungv into alineinent with thepost'21 and is drawnVv downwardly so as Ito ,cause ft ne lower latchp'in25 to enter the lreeper23, andthe upper latch pin 24C to engage finthe rloofpQG of lthe keeper 22,1thereby 'fasteningthe gat-e closed andretaining its forward end againstthe lifting tendency of the contractingtension othespring 28. rFhe tension 4ot said spring is Ysuch vthatViniinediatel-y the-front end of? the gate is released troni thelreeperit willV automatically rise 'to the position shown in Fig. 2 andwill remain insaid position until:

drawn downwardly and the'latch pin2t reengaged in the loop 'of 'thekeeper 22.

'To 'provide .torrendering lthe iframe of the gatezrfigid in vcaseswhere itis not desired to in the-short section@ 1transverse openings 32,and in the end o the bar 3 Vslidable within the section 8corresponding.openings 33, as shown nvFig. 4f.' "ll to register when thegate is in the position shown in Fig. l, whereby, by passing a bolt 3fttransversely through said openings as shown in Fig. 8, the telescopicsection of the upper bar inay be locked against movement, therebyrendering thegate frame rigid.

lt will be noted `vthat as the front end/of the gate rises the upper bar3 is shortened because of the slidingot one section thereof int-o theother. rlhis causes the `itront 'end bar 'l to stand obliquely withrespect Sto the rea-r end bar 2, Iwhereby the distance be tween theupper ends ots-aid bars is short'- ened, causing aconsequent slaclreningof the tension Vupon the strand wires le. When the gate isdraw-ii'downwardly and locled'in 1the position shown `in Fig. l theIfront -bar Ll assuines a vertical position and Itension `upon thestrand wires is restored.

vend "bar and hav-ing a-slidafbleconneotion at {the other end with theother end bar, a diagonal brace -pivoted to the rea-r end bar :and tothe slidable bar, and tension means `extending between and connectingthe end bars. s

2. A gate -coniprising 4vertical end Vbars 1 fand 'upper and lowervhorizontal bars, the

'ilower bar being vpivoted at its ends to A@lower ends of -the .end barsrespectively, th'e Aupper bar being pivoted'at one end to Ianend bar and4havinga slidablefconnection at Athe .other end with the other lend bar,

:extending between and connecting the end bars, and means for placingstress upon `said 'tension means.

`8. A gate comprising vertical end ba'rs :and upper and ylower'horizontal bars, the

lower `ends ci: the end I:bars respectively, the major -portienot theupper bar being pivotied at one'endft'othe upperfend of'an'end'bar :andhaving aV -ininor section into which said major portion is sl'idable,said minor section being pivoted :to the upper end 'ott-he other Vendbar, a diagonalV brace pivoted to the rear end bar andA to:thefslidab'le portion oit-the upper fbafr, and tension means einraisefthe 4front end thereof, there are formedV hose openings are inadeEHaving 4*thus full-y set forth-roy invention,

-upper bar being p'ivoted at one Kend Ato ana diagonal brace Apivotedtothe rear end ib'ar and 1to the slidable bar, tension meansV lower barbeing pivoted at `it'sends to theV tending 'between and connecting theend leo et. A gate comprising a quadrangular iframe whose members arepivoted together at three corners, the upper horizontal member of theframe at the fourth corner having a slidable section and a pivotalengagement with the vertical member, a diagonal brace pivoted to themembers of the frame and crossing the corner where the members of theframe are slidably engaged, a tension strand extending between andconnecting the end members of the frame, and means for placinglongitudinal stress upon said strand.

5. A gate comprising vertical end bars and upper and lower horizontalbars, the lower horizontal bar being pivoted at its ends to the lowerends of the vertical end bars, respectively, the other horizontal barbeing pivoted at its forward end to theupper end of the front verticalbar, a support pivoted to the upper end of the rear vertical bar, therear end of the upper horizontalbar having a slidable engagement withsaid support, a diagonal brace pivoted to the rear vertical bar and tothe upper horizontal bar, and tension means extending between andconnecting the end bars.

6. A gate comprising a rectangular frame jointedly connected at itscorners, one of said joints being slidable, a pivoted diagonal bracecrossing the corner where the parts are slidably connected, the endmembers of the :trarne extending above the upper horizontal member ofthe frame, a longitudinally extending tension strand connecting theupper ends of said end members for lifting the l'ree end ot' the gateframe, a post, and a keeper on said post for holding the free end of thegate frame against vertical movement.

7. A gate frame comprising vertical end bars and uppe and lowerhorizontal bars, the lower bar being pivoted at its ends to the ends ofthe end bars respectively, the upper bar extending between andyieldingly connecting the upper ends of the end bars, a diagonal braceextending between the rear end bar and the upper bar and pivotallyconnected at its ends to said bars respectively, and tension meansextending between and connecting the upper ends of the end bars.

In testimony whereof, I sign this speciication in the presence of twowitnesses.

JAMES lV. SNEDEKER.

Witnesses:

GEO. L. BnNNn'rr, F. E. Oseoon.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

